Chance Encounters
by Peetabreadgirl
Summary: Katniss doesn't take bike rides in certain neighborhoods for quick glances at a particular blond boy. And she's definitely not into him.


Katniss was grateful for the weekend, rising from bed, eager to grab a quick bite and hop on her bike for her weekly ride. She wished she could do it more often, but her work schedule left her without much time for exercise, so she had to settle for weekends. She particularly liked Saturdays because of a certain blond boy, whom she'd dubbed 'Divinity', like the sweet candy she loved to savor during the holidays, in a neighborhood across town that mowed his yard at the same time every weekend.

Katniss admired the routine of it all. The tattered shirt, sleeves ripped off at the shoulders that showed his muscular arms, the backwards hat that left a few curls peeking out from underneath, and his perfectly sculpted jaw didn't hurt, either. But, really, it was just the routine that kept her leisurely riding by, week after week.

It had been 8 weeks since she noticed him mowing his lawn the first time. She had taken a wrong turn and decided to keep going anyway, certain that the street would let out someplace near where her route continued. On her way through the quaint little neighborhood, she observed a young man pushing a mower through his lush, bright green grass. Normally the color of the grass would be what would have captured Katniss' fancy, but today it was the guy.

He saw her as she rode by and gave a small wave. His shy smile was panty-melting, and from then on Katniss had a new route. They started to have a glancing relationship. He would wave a little and she would smile. Or he would salute her and she would respond in kind. He always made some kind of friendly gesture to her, but she never stopped. She never thought about talking to him, just enjoyed what was. Her imaginations were far better than the heartbreak she would surely encounter in a relationship. She'd experienced that once. Never again, she'd vowed.

Today's anticipation was no different than it was any other Saturday. It was a little hotter, a little more humid, but she wouldn't miss her ride for the world. It was two miles to the neighborhood where the golden boy lived, and her sweat was pouring a little quicker than normal with the sizzling heat. She rounded the corner of his street, reaching for her towel to wipe the heavy perspiration from her brow. Her mouth gaped as she pulled the towel away.

The gods had certainly favored her today. He was shirtless. All thoughts and fantasies of what he looked like bare were distant memories, insufficient at best, compared to the reality. His skin was glistening with sweat, and his perfectly rounded backside was the only thing holding up his low hanging boardshorts. She could see every muscle in his shoulders and back moving sinuously together as he pushed and pulled the mower.

He hadn't seen her yet, his head was down and Katniss could see he had earbuds in, so she slowed a bit as she neared his property, prolonging the view before she rode on. She may have to double back today.

In the midst of all the flesh, Katniss failed to detect the car parked in front of his house. It was always there, but today everything was invisible. The front tire of her bike collided with the back bumper, sending her crashing into the trunk.

"Aaaahhh!" she screamed out as her shoulder took the brunt of the blow. She fell to the asphalt, left leg still tangled in the frame of the bike. She laid still in shock, trying to piece together what the heck had just happened, when he appeared over her, face full of concern.

"Are you okay?" Mortification set in, and Katniss' face ignited in embarrassment.

"I think so."

"Here, let me help you up," he said as he gently put his hands on her shoulders. His touch was like a flame. A really painful flame.

"Ow!" she cried out, realizing the pain was coming from her left shoulder. She reached over and grabbed it out of instinct, sending another jolt of intense agony shooting through her upper body.

"I think you may have dislocated your shoulder," he said, untangling her leg from the bike and leaning into her to help her stand. He smelled like fresh cut grass and cinnamon, an odd but pleasing combination, and his smooth chest was directly in front of her eyes for viewing pleasure, although her mind quickly forgot about his proximity when a sharp pain emerged, piercing through her shoulder like a knife. This was quite possibly the worst pain she'd ever felt, and she'd suffered a broken leg from falling out of a tree when she was younger.

Finally upright, Katniss surveyed the scene, silently cursing the gods she had just thanked. The front tire was dented in, a few spokes severed and jutting out to the side. Her legs were a bit scraped from the harsh contact with the asphalt, but the worst of it must be the shoulder. And the fact that she couldn't get home without walking two miles. She may pass out from the heat and the pain. There was just no other way, though.

"Thank you," she said. "Can you just hang on to my bike for now? I'll come back to get it tomorrow." She began to walk away, determined to get home and drive herself to the hospital.

"Wait! Where are you going?" he said, catching her good arm. The flame she felt at his touch this time was anything but pain-filled.

"Home. I have to get this fixed," she explained, motioning to her injury.

"Where do you live?"

"Twelfth street," she answered. The look on his face was incredulous.

"That's over two miles away!"

"Yeah, I know. I bike here every Saturday." she said, feeling weaker by the moment. She needed to get out of there. Taking a few steps in the direction her home, she faltered, but thankfully he was right behind her, reaching out to make sure she didn't hit the pavement again.

"You can't walk to miles after just having an accident like that." Katniss did not appreciate people telling her what she could and couldn't do, and that included the chivalrous, demigod types. Her ire abated when she beheld his eyes, bluer than the sky above them and warmer than the air around them. She had never been close enough to notice them like this. Okay, maybe he could help her a little.

"What do you suggest I do then?" she asked, trying to get him to offer so she didn't have to ask. Accepting help was going to hard enough. Forget outright asking for it.

"Let me drive you to the ER," he said as he began guiding her to the unaffected car that had been the source of her pain and embarrassment. He opened the passenger door and helped Katniss into the seat, then buckled her seatbelt. He reached across her to the driver's side, skin still glistening and bare, turning the keys that were already in the ignition and starting the car.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to grab a shirt," he said. _Don't worry on my account,_ she thought.

"What was that?" he asked. Oh, crap. Did she say that out loud? The pain must be causing the filter from her brain to malfunction.

"Thank you. I said thank you," she lied. He grinned and said 'you're welcome' before dashing into the house and returning quickly, and to Katniss' disappointment, fully clothed.

"I'm Peeta, by the way," he introduced himself as he switched the car into drive and pulled into the street.

"Katniss."

"That's a pretty name. So, Katniss, what brings you all the way to my neighborhood every Saturday?" Peeta's question suddenly cause Katniss to freeze. She couldn't tell him why without further embarrassing herself.

"Um, I like the uh… houses! Yeah, they're so quaint and quirky."

"Yeah, they are. So, I didn't see what happened. Did something cause you to veer or distract you?"

 _Yes. Yes something did cause me to be distracted,_ Katniss thought.

"I'm not real sure. One minute I was enjoying the view and the next I was on the ground." It was the truth. Peeta answered with an 'oh' and nothing else was said on the short drive. Pulling up to the parking lot of the hospital, Peeta opened Kantiss' door, helping her out of the car and into the waiting room of the ER.

"Thank you. I really appreciate the ride," Katniss said.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Peeta asked, and Katniss thought she sense hopefulness in his tone.

"No, no, really, you've done enough." She couldn't keep asking him to help her. He'd done plenty.

"Okay then," he said as he turned to go. Hesitating, he turned back. "Katniss?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not saying I'm happy that you're hurt, but I'm glad I finally I got to talk to you." He paused, then acknowledged more than Katniss could have imagined. "I've been hoping you would stop and say hi one day on your way by. I didn't think standing in the street and saying 'hey, you! talk to me' was appropriate, but waving and smiling wasn't working."

"You wanted to talk to me?" Katniss asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. I used to mow on Sundays. Saturday is kinda busy for me, but ever since you first rode by, I planned to mow my yard at the same time every week, hoping you had a routine and maybe I could talk to you." He glanced down, the tips of his ears red with is confession. "I know, pretty lame, huh?" Despite the pain in her shoulder, Katniss began to laugh hysterically, loud enough to turn heads. Maybe the gods knew what they were doing after all.

"Okay, that wasn't the reaction I was hoping for." The dejected look on Peeta's face made it all the more funny, but Katniss regained her composure enough to explain.

"No, no. It's just so ironic. I plan my bike rides on Saturday mornings because you mow your lawn then." Peeta's face lit up with pleasant shock, and he joined in her amusement.

After their laughter died down, Katniss sent Peeta home, much to his displeasure. He tried to argue and stay, but she told him she would begin stopping by every weekend on her bike rides, so he agreed.

"Peeta?" she called to him as he was about to exit through the sliding doors. He halted and looked back expectantly, a huge grin splitting his face at her words. "You should probably keep your shirt on when you mow. It can be distracting and cause some poor girl to have an accident."

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Reviews are always appreciated, welcomed, encouraged, and a great way to 'buy' fanfic from an author! Lol. Pbg


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